Why aren't there more union stories onscreen?

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

In this conversation from March, Brittany Luse is joined by Chicago Tribune TV and film critic Nina Metz to chat about why there are so many shows and movies about rich jerks — Succession, White Lotus and Billions, to name a few — and why we're experiencing a dearth of stories about workers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey hey, you're listening to it's been a minute from NPR, I'm Brittany Loose.
0:08.6	This week we're looking at some of the best TV of the year, and in 2023, succession
0:14.4	is definitely high on the list.
0:17.4	But I've noticed it's part of a larger, ongoing trend.
0:21.2	There are so many recent TV shows and movies that immerse viewers in the lives of filthy,
0:27.2	rich jerks.
0:28.7	The white lotus, triangle of sadness, the menu, and I don't watch billions, but it is
0:34.3	about to have four spin-off series.
0:37.3	You can't swing a diamond studded something or another without hitting a prestige project
0:43.2	about the ultra wealthy.
0:45.5	There's a lot of these shows.
0:48.1	That's Nina Metz.
0:49.1	She's a TV and film critic at the Chicago Tribune, and she thinks there's too many stories
0:54.4	about the super elite.
0:56.0	Especially when there's been increased public interest in organized labor.
1:00.7	Last year, Union petitions were up by half, and Hollywood itself is now deep into hot
1:05.8	strike summer.
1:07.3	Those storylines are absent from what we're seeing in TV and film.
1:14.4	In this chat from March, I sat down with Nina to talk about what happened to Union movies,
1:19.7	and what precise dramas about the rich actually do to our psyches.
1:25.1	Nina, welcome to it's been a minute.
1:27.2	Thanks for having me to jump right in.
	...

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